05/08/13: Cowboys chat with SportsDayDFW's David Moore

David Moore joins us at 1 p.m. Wednesday, but ask your questions now and he will have them when he arrives. Thanks for your readership!

by SportsDayDFW5/7/2013 11:41:48 PM

Want to thank everyone for taking the time to chat this afternoon. Let's go.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:04:40 PM

What are the chances of the Cowboys getting Johnny Football in the future?

by RGCOUSINS5/8/2013 6:04:52 PM

By the future, let's assume that means next April. The Cowboys would need to have one of the top five to 10 picks in the draft, which means they will have missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season or they are giving up another second round pick to move up or both.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:06:08 PM

Dallas defense played the 4-3 defense a few years ago, what was the primary reason for switching back after such a short period of time?

by jeff5/8/2013 6:06:20 PM

The switch was made eight seasons ago. A large part of the reason the Cowboys went back to a 4-3 here is because they were able to get Monte Kiffin. They like his style of defense and believe he will be able to install and teach it the way it needs to take hold. Rod Marinelli will help execute and will be in place to become defensive coordinator if Kiffin only hangs around for another year or two. But just because Kiffin is the second oldest defensive coordinator in the league, don't assume he's a short timer. This guy has a passion for the game that still shines through.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:08:32 PM

When will this free/winston situation be resolved?

by Randall Florida5/8/2013 6:08:59 PM

It's in the interest of both sides to resolve this sooner rather than later. Options are dropping off the open market for the Cowboys to replace Free. Meanwhile, the more free agents that sign and the deeper he goes into this off-season before he's released, the more difficult it will be for him to compete for a starting job _ and thus earn starter's money _ elsewhere.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:10:40 PM

With the playcalling duties still up in the air, how can the Cowboys hope to establish an identity. They keep trying to be the Patriots with the 2 tightend office, but with recievers that can work the sidelines instead of always hitting underneath routes. Is there any hope Escobar can be that other pass catching threat and give us that identity that has eluded us.

by David5/8/2013 6:10:54 PM

You're right. Teams that go 8-8 in back to back seasons rarely form an identity because by their .500 nature, you can project what they are _ or aren't. It seems to me that teams charged with becoming more creative offensively this off-season have two directions to go: the zone read offense with an athletic, mobile quarterback or the two, tight-end sets the Patriots use. Tony Romo is mobile and athletic, but the Cowboys don't have the personnel to become a true zone read team and they have no intention of exposing Romo to that much risk at this stage of his career. Going with two tight ends made sense. Escobar has an intriguing upside and the Cowboys need to tap it immediately

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:14:17 PM

All we heard for 3 months was how great the draft would be for lineman and safeties. Why only one O-line and no d-line?

by JB5/8/2013 6:14:25 PM

The Cowboys got trapped in no man's land when it came to selecting an offensive lineman in the first round. When they traded out of the No. 18 spot and two offensive linemen _ Justin Pugh and Kyle Long _ went off the board before owner Jerry Jones had a chance to blink, there was only one other offensive lineman on the team's board that everyone felt could step in and be a starter from Day One. That was Travis Frederick. That's why the Cowboys reached. If they didn't get Frederick, they didn't believe they could upgrade the interior of the offensive line in free agency. That's why they placed a much greater premium on offensive line than defensive line.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:17:24 PM

JJ Watt changed the league last season but every time I see him in uniform he reminds me of Bob Lilly...the way he moves and carries himself, ever notice this?

by esteban5/8/2013 6:17:48 PM

I have not, but that's a supreme compliment.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:18:05 PM

Of the current free agents signed, are there anyone include that the "Cowboys Nation" should be partiarcularly intrigued by?

by jeff5/8/2013 6:18:35 PM

The two veteran free agents the Cowboys signed were more for insurance purposes in case their younger players aren't ready to step up and assume a starting role. Of the rookie free agents who were signed, keep an eye on Arizona State outside linebacker Brandon Magee. The team considered taking him in one of the later rounds and gave him a bigger signing bonus than they are likely to hand out to their seventh round pick.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:21:44 PM

Greetings David - Thanks for hosting today's chat. Does it seem to you that Doug Free has most of the leverage in the pay cut dispute? The team really doesn't want to cut him because of the dead money it will incur, so they're giving him an extended time to make his decision. Meanwhile, only one viable free agent option (Eric Winston) remains unsigned, but that could change at any moment, meaning the Cowboys would be stuck without any solid options if they cut Free. Am I right, or should I be looking at this situation differently?

by G-Money5/8/2013 6:22:05 PM

You're right about Free's leverage. The dead money is something the Cowboys don't want to deal with going forward. The lack of depth at that position also works to Free's advantage. Make no mistake. If the Cowboys thought Jermey Parnell could start at right tackle, Free would be gone by now. Even though the two rotated toward the end of last year, Free got twice as many snaps and was on the field at the close of games. But Free can't afford to overplay his hand, either. If he is cut, he will be dumped on a free agent market that will pay him less than the pay cut he'll receive from Dallas. And he will be on that market coming off of two, bad seasons. I'd argue both sides of leverage, which is why this has yet to be resolved.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:25:35 PM

Do you know if the seventh round pick Holloman is a sleeper pick never heard of him he looks like he can get to the quarterback

by Wizard5/8/2013 6:25:53 PM

Don't know if I'd call him a sleeper. The Cowboys simply hope he can contribute on special teams this season and put himself into position to compete for a starting job down the line.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:26:34 PM

The Tampa 2 defense had to have a certain type of player back in Sapp's day. But this is a toss and catch league now. Can it be that our lighter d-linemen are more suitable to today's game?

by esteban5/8/2013 6:26:52 PM

Very good point. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are undersized defensive ends, which is understandable since they are converted linebackers. Normally, you make up for that with size inside, which the Cowboys really don't have. The Tampa 2 defense, like any sound defense, can adapt to the talent and the times.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:28:15 PM

Your expectations for the new Fast and Furious movie?

by Francis Underwood5/8/2013 6:28:27 PM

I would argue the word "expectations" is a little too lofty to address my thoughts on what to expect from the latest in that franchise.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:29:14 PM

Thinking back to 2012, Dallas had trouble getting to the QB (especially when Ware was hurt, which was a long, long time) covering the back end of the secondary, protecting the middle of the offensive line and having a dynamic back-up runner all greatly hurt the team.Did they address these needs enough in the draft or free agency to become a winning team?

by brad5/8/2013 6:29:52 PM

All good points. I'd also point out that if you think back to 2012, this team had trouble protecting the quarterback and running the ball. There are a lot of holes to fill on this team. One draft, with limited cap space to spend in free agency, was never going to address all of those needs. Jones has put his faith in Monte Kiffin to mask or overcome any defensive defeciencies this season until he can get back to addressing them next off-season.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:31:26 PM

Did Jerry Jones sell his soul to the Devil to win a Super Bowl without Jimmy? It appears that this franchise is doomed until he pays his debt to the dark lord.

by JJ Sux5/8/2013 6:31:54 PM

I can't tell if this was sent by a Harry Potter fan or a friend of Jimmy Johnson.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:32:26 PM

I really don't understand the local interest (infatuation) with third receivers. We have two great wideouts, a great pass catching tight end and a running back with great hands. Do we really need anyone else taking catches away from our stars?

by mark5/8/2013 6:32:58 PM

If you look at what this team has done _ or more accurately, hasn't done _ in the red zone the past few seasons I'd say it can use more weapons. I'd also say the health of some of the key figures you mentioned has compromised the offense when they are out with injuries.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:33:52 PM

Who does the Fake David Moore character on The Ticket?

by Peter Russo5/8/2013 6:34:05 PM

Since I'm a parody of myself, no one needs to do it. Besides, I'm not interesting enough to provoke that sort of attention.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:35:10 PM

Wasn't it Jerry who reminded us, "He who shall, so shall he who?"

by Hurston Thowell5/8/2013 6:35:30 PM

Didn't have anything to add, just glad to see that you got off the island.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:35:58 PM

Cowboys fans everywhere have been agonizing over only one O-line draft pick and no OL free agent signings to upgrade the team's worst performing unit last year. Check out the bio of new assistant OL coach Frank Pollack, who actually played NFL G and OT for much of the 1990s. Could this coach be the REAL wild card who actually gets better O-line play from our current underachievers and develops young talent like Travis Frederick and "sleepers" like OT Darrion Weems?

by Cow Belle5/8/2013 6:36:30 PM

The Cowboys think a lot of Bill Callahan and his ability to get the most out of offensive linemen and believe this group will be much further along in his second season.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:37:03 PM

Give me your probabilities that Living, Bernadeau, and Free all are opening day starters? How about 2 of those 3? One? None? Thanks.

by Thomas R.5/8/2013 6:37:11 PM

I'd say two of the three will start. Travis Frederick will be in there as well. I'd be shocked if he wasn't the starting center on opening day. But I can envision a scenario where that means Phil Costa slides over to take a job from Livings or Bernadeau. At the moment, you must assume that Free will be a starter.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:39:16 PM

Does Dallas need to have the cap room ahead of signing a free agent or is there a period of time where they can be over the cap before they need to get under. I'm referring to Free and when they need to restructure him or let him go.

by Mark5/8/2013 6:39:35 PM

They must have the cap room once the two sides reach an agreement and the deal is signed. A lot of these deals work concurrently. But remember, if Free is cut he will be designated as a post June 1 cut to soften the cap hit. That means he will still count against the cap and the money to sign a replacement must come from elsewhere.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:41:45 PM

Has there been any indication that the Cowboys might try to add the screen pass to their offense?

by Thomas R.5/8/2013 6:41:54 PM

What's a screen pass? Is that a play that teams not in Dallas run? I heard rumors the Cowboys used to have that in the playbook, but I'd have to go back to the archives to check.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:43:02 PM

Are the Cowboys looking at bringing in any other running backs?

by Bruce B.5/8/2013 6:43:36 PM

Not at the moment. They like what they saw out of Lance Dunbar last season and believe he'll be a nice No. 3 back. Of course, Phillip Tanner could have something to say about that.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:44:21 PM

what players would you not be surprised to have a breakout year in 2013 ? perhaps Ron Leary

by norman5/8/2013 6:45:04 PM

To me, the most likely candidates would be those from recent draft classes who didn't do much early but then burst on the scene the way Bruce Carter did last season. Safety Matt Johnson will certainly be given that chance. Kyle Wilber will be given a chance to contribute at defensive end as well. Since you mentioned Leary, he will compete for a starting job at guard.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:47:03 PM

The Cowboys are gonna need help again on the safety position. This is a pass happy league now. Why didn't they take the guy from FLa and get Frederick later

by Wizard5/8/2013 6:47:37 PM

Kenny Vaccaro is the only safety the Cowboys assigned a first round grade. I've been told they likely would have taken Vaccarro if he had been there at No. 18 but once he was gone, the possibility of taking a safety in the first round went out the window.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:49:51 PM

If the Cowboys think so highly of Callahan, why has Frees play gone down under his coaching.?He played better under Houck.

by Bruce B.5/8/2013 6:50:01 PM

Did he? I'd argue Free's performance has declined in each of the last two seasons. But you're right from the standpoint that Free had trouble adapting to what Callahan demands from his linemen in terms of technique.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:50:50 PM

People say Travis had a slow 40 time and that will hurt him in the nfl. But from all the Wisconsin games I watched a lot of them he seemed to be able to slide and swing over fine. Is he going to consistently get to the second level of linebackers? No. But the guy bench presses over 500 LBs and squats over 750 LBs. if he can blow up the guy in front of him (and the guy behind him if he's to close) what does it matter?

by Brad5/8/2013 6:51:00 PM

If you are going to draft a slow player _ and it appears Frederick is the slowest center to be drafted in 20 years _ I'd argue center is the spot to do it. They want him to anchor the interior of the line. Anchors don't have to be fast.

by David Moore5/8/2013 6:52:01 PM

Well, since I'm slower than Travis Frederick, this seems like a good place to stop. I'll go work on my time in the 40 and see if I can recover in time for our next chat. Thanks for taking the time.